Intern Spotlight: Landon Allen

We at Civiltec are so excited to announce Landon Allen’s joining our summer intern program. He joins us from University of Southern California, Los Angeles studying for a degree in Environmental Engineering. Let’s take a moment to spotlight this young engineer. 

Why are you interested in this internship/company/industry, and what skills or experiences do you hope to gain?

Working with Civiltec, I am hoping to broaden my overall skills as an engineer as this is my first position in the professional engineering world. I want to strengthen my CAD skills, while also getting the full experience of what a project looks like; from the project being won all the way to getting to complete a site visit.

What attracted you to your chosen field?

I have always been interested in water, as it is one of the most essential resources to life that is unfortunately always taken for granted. Living in California especially, I believe that providing adequate amounts of water to the LA region will be one of the great engineering challenges for environmental/civil engineers as the impacts of climate change worsen.

What are you most proud of?

I am very proud of my Cajun roots, as I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and that is where the majority of my extended family lives. I am also a diehard LSU fan, even though I currently attend USC.

How do you think an internship will help you academically? What about professionally?

I believe this internship will help me professionally as I begin to understand how engineers approach projects, from cradle to the grave. While school may have taught me the mathematics and physics behind infrastructure and fluids, I am still a novice in understanding the inner workings of how projects are completed by engineers. 

What are your long-term goals?

I am highly passionate about the environment, and one of my long-term career goals is to be on the frontline of the fight against climate change. Whether it is in the water, air, or energy sector, I want to help to create cutting-edge technology that is going to mitigate our impact on the planet.

What do you enjoy about your current role? 

In my first two weeks, I have really enjoyed the culture here at Civiltec. Everyone here has been very approachable and friendly if I have needed any help. Everyone here also seems to enjoy their work and the various events planned that I have already gotten the chance to attend, which is essential when trying to find a place to start a long-term career at.

What drew you to Civiltec? 

I was lucky enough to be introduced to David Byrum at a SCUWA meeting last Fall, where I was being awarded a scholarship. After that meeting, I looked into Civiltec as a company and saw they had a heavy emphasis on water projects for municipalities, which aligned with my interests of helping with the water scarcity problems currently facing the LA basin.

What are you passionate about?

One thing that I am passionate about is skiing. Although I only started learning how to ski in college, I have fallen in love with being in the mountains and getting to race down the slopes. I am joining the USC ski club next semester, and will hopefully begin spending as much time as I can at Mammoth Mountain during the next Winter through the Spring. 

Describe your previous work or volunteering experience?

My previous summers, I have spent my time interning at a small hospitality staffing company, and I spent most of my time creating a database of hotels across the nation in an effort to help find and fill vacant positions. In the past, I have also worked at Amazon and UPS, loading and unloading trailers as well as airplanes.